Traveling to Minnesota

Well, I failed miserably at updating more frequently, and I don’t have an excuse. Inertia is such a strong force!

To pick up where I left you last, I did head to the B Rally in Louisiana in late April, and from there went over to Natchez, Mississippi and picked up the Natchez Chase Trail. I followed it through most of the state, but then cut directly north into Tennessee and on through Kentucky, Missouri, and into Illinois, where I spent one night at a campground in Marion before going to Chicago. I stayed there for a night at my friend Pat S’s house; we spent an enjoyable evening catching up on each other’s lives, then said goodbye after breakfast the next morning, and I pointed the MUTT back to Minnesota after the longest period in my life outside her borders. I apparently had been gone long enough to forget that late April in MN is not summer! The days were chilly and the nights were downright cold! I spent two months there, and the nights really never warmed up. There were a few days that were too warm for the dogs to stay in the MUTT when I was gone, but for the most part, it was a cool spring.

During the two months I was there, I traveled between my place up north of the Twin Cities and the houses of friends in the Cities. I parked on eight different driveways of friends during my stay. Thanks to all of you for your hospitality! The dogs and I slept in the MUTT every night except one (it was too cold) even though I was invited in to all their homes. As most of you RVers know, it’s easier to sleep in your own bed with all the things you need, instead of hauling everything into houses. Better for the dogs, too.

I had brought my bike along and managed to find enough nice days to go biking with my friend Pat L. at various paths in the Twin Cities area. That area has to be one of the best places in the country for biking! Pat and I also took in a play at the renowned Guthrie Theater and a Minnesota Lynx basketball game.

One of the highlights of my MN stay was going with my friend Carol H to pick up her new Golden Retriever puppy. What a cutie! The picture is of Guthrie, the new puppy, and Carol's other Golden, Harper. After spending a few days with the puppy, I decided I really couldn’t manage raising another puppy myself. Between the housebreaking, chewing, and especially the bending down to pick it up, I don’t think my body would ever be the same. You may have to remind me of this in a few years, but as of now, I think an adult dog from a rescue group would suit my body better.

To keep this account from getting any longer, I’m going to post now, then continue on with my travels after leaving MN.

Home, Sweet (New) Home

I’ve used this blog in the past to document my travels, but now that I have a winter home in AZ, there aren’t as many traveled miles, so to avoid any further stagnation, I’m hoping to update it more often, beginning now.

I’ve spent the last four months getting unpacked and settled, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be done with that. There are still boxes in the garage, in the closets, and under my bed! I overdid it the first couple weeks, reawakening old back problems, so decided I have the rest of my life to unpack. The house is quite a bit smaller than I’ve had in the past and storage space is limited. I don’t have any spare drawers to use as junk drawers, so I have to settle for junk boxes. I’m sure someone some day will dump them unopened into the trash, but I don’t have the heart to do it myself. You never know when I might need three rubber balls that are painted like globes, or a shoebox full of shoe laces!

The weather here has been fabulous and I’ve avoided one of the worst Minnesota winters in many years. I’ve been doing a lot of walking with Rave, while Wink stays home and guards the house. She hates walks and runs and hides when I get out her leash. The only way I can get her to go with me is to carry her half-way, then put her down and say, “Let’s go home!” Then she happily runs back to the safety and comfort of home.

I’m also getting a lot of exercise by biking with a group of my neighbors. There are great bike paths throughout the community and they’re all pretty flat. I’m not quite ready to tackle the mountains yet!

In a few weeks, I’ll be getting the MUTT out of storage and hitting the road once again. First stop is Lafayette, LA for an RV rally with my “B” friends, then on to Minnesota for the summer. It’ll be great to see all my friends back there, but not so good to see the wood ticks and mosquitoes, and experience that high humidity!

Wandering Toward "Home"

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to the family and head south. It was hard to say goodbye because this was the first time I have lived in a different state than they and for the last three years, we had lived only four miles apart and seen each other very often. Now, we didn’t know how long it would be before we’d be together again. After lots of hugs and a few tears, I drove away and for the first time, really felt homeless and alone.

My second night on the road was spent in Twin Falls, Idaho, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the area. There is a tourist center right by the exit with lots of good information from the friendly volunteers there. There is also a path along the rim of the Snake River Canyon with fantastic views. The bridge over the river is one of the highest I’ve seen. The site where Evel Knievel attempted his motorcycle jump across the canyon is a mile away from the bridge, and looking at the canyon, I can’t believe the man was sane to even consider it. The drive to the Twin Falls is a short distance away and frankly, I was a little underwhelmed. The drive there is strictly city until you’re ready to descend to the falls area, then it’s very steep, curvy, and narrow. I believe it’s the first time I’ve used first gear to go down a hill. Once down, the falls weren’t that high and didn’t have much water going over the edge, but maybe that was the time of the year. A large power plant detracted from the scenery as well.

One travel tip I’ve learned from experience: If driving across a high mountain pass bothers you, do it at night. You have no idea what’s out there. After failing to sleep one night in the Salt Lake City/Provo area, I finally gave up at 3:30 and got back on the road. I headed east, noticing that the outside temperature was 54 degrees. I drove up a winding narrow road and eventually noticed it seemed colder in the RV. I checked the outside temperature and it was 29 degrees! After another hour of driving the winding, now-descending road, the temp was back up in the mid 50s. I could only catch occasional glimpses of steep cliffs and high peaks, but not often or clearly enough to be worrisome. Piece of cake!

I arrived in Moab later that day and checked into the campground where the Class B RV Rally was going to be taking place over the next five days. That’s the greatest part of RVing: meeting other RVers and renewing old friendships. It was a wonderful five days! Rallies are fun, but they can also be very tiring, even for dogs…

During that time I visited Arches National Park twice, but road work kept me from seeing as much of it as I would have liked to. What I saw was beautiful, though, and the Interpretive Center was outstanding. The mountain range visible from the campground was snow-free while I was there, but the night before leaving, a rainstorm came through the area, and the next morning, the mountains were snow-capped! Quite a surprise, since the temperatures down at the campground were only in the low 50s.

After leaving the rally, I followed the route recommended to me by one of my friends familiar with the area. It was a great recommendation and I’ll pass it on here in case you’re ever out that way. From Moab, drive north to I-70, then south on Hwy. 24.Continue on 24 to Torrey, then turn south on Hwy. 12. Allow yourself a LOT of time to travel the approximately 124 miles along Hwy. 12…not only is it a winding, up-and-down road, but it’s so beautiful that I found myself stopping very frequently for picture-taking and just to drink in the views. I had never heard of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument prior to this trip, so it was one of the wonderful surprises along the way.

I arrived at the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park not too long before sunset and the campground was full, so I went along to another beautiful campground farther along the way and planned to come back to Bryce Canyon the next day. The public campground I found was in Red Canyon, in the woods with a gorgeous view of the canyon walls. I parked next to a very nice couple who were celebrating their anniversary that day, and was invited to join them for a glass of celebratory wine around their campfire. There were no electric hookups at the campground, so I was careful not to use anything except for a light that was only on for a short time. I knew my battery was weak and that I’d need the furnace in the morning. (The propane furnace needs electricity for the fan.) I set the thermostat for 58 and went to sleep. At 5:00, I woke up in a very cold camper to the low battery alarm. It was 45 degrees inside and 27 out! I started the engine and warmed it up with the van heater while I dressed and packed up to leave. At that point I decided I needed to get down to lower altitudes, so I missed Bryce Canyon. Next time, I hope!

Homeless in Seattle

Well, a lot has changed since the last post and I'll try to catch you up without too many boring details. When I last posted, I was getting ready to sell my house and buy in Arizona. While experiencing first hand the housing woes of America, I finally managed to sell the house after the first "buyer" backed out on me two days before closing. My house reduced in value by 21% over the three years I lived there, but hey, it's over and I'm moving on. That sale has closed and the new house won't close until the beginning of November, so I truly am homeless. Except for my little castle-on-wheels, that is. It's serving me well, and the dogs love being with me pretty much 24/7. So much for the background; now for the travel journal entries:

I left Minnesota on August 4th, accompanied by my daughter Shar, her father-in-law, and her two daughters (Kendra and Annika) in her SUV. My grandson Jake rode in the MUTT with me and was a great navigator and traveling companion. We drove across North Dakota and Montana; eastern ND is crop country—wheat, barley, sugar beets, oats, and so on – and then in the west it turns into grass country, which continues across Montana. I have never seen so much hay in my life! It was mowing & baling time evidently, because every field had bales as far as the eye could see.

We headed south in Livingston, MT and headed down to Yellowstone. I won’t go into much detail here since I can’t add anything much to all the prose and drivel already written about the Grand Old Park. The only original kick I got out of the visit was when a car going way too fast roared past me in the 25 mph zone, then around several other cars. I told Jake that people that drive in a tourist area should expect slow traffic, and then a cop zoomed past us with siren and lights and sure enough, we soon passed the speeder and cop on the side. Justice can be so sweet!

The drive from Yellowstone to Washington was beautiful: mostly mountainous and forested. I entered Idaho for the first time in my life and want to go back some day to explore Coeur d’Alene in detail. Washington is a state of several different climates, much like Texas. There are rain forests, deserts, mountains, and of course the coastal region. I spent almost eight weeks there, most of it at Shar’s, but also took side trips to the Olympic Peninsula and the ocean, as well as a couple campgrounds in the Cascades. I crossed Snoqualmie Pass four times and was awed by its beauty as much the fourth time as the first. Unfortunately, I was driving each time and the curves and climbs didn’t allow for as much gawking as I would have liked. Washington is truly a beautiful state and I’m hoping to get back there each year to visit the family and see even more of what it has to offer.

The trip to the Olympic Peninsula I mentioned earlier was with my friend Laura and her family. They have a beautiful vacation home overlooking Discovery Bay and we went on a great hike in the woods, ending with a beach walk, with the bluffs rising above us. We also visited Fort Worden State Park, again hiking through the woods and old abandoned battlements. The fort was built to protect the Puget Sound from invasion and is one of four forts that face the mouth of the vulnerable waterway from all directions. The day couldn’t have been more beautiful, with great scenery and a lot of informational markers along the trails.

While staying in WA, I took another side trip to travel down the Oregon coast. I’ve been told many times that if I loved the WA coast, I’d be blown away by Oregon’s counterpart. Wow, were all of them right! I met a couple friends of mine there and spent four days traveling down about a third of the way down the state. Pat and Jan were also traveling in an RV, so we stayed at campgrounds together and caravanned during the days. The last night before we split up, we stayed at a state park right on the beach. I walked down and watched the sun sink into the water that evening and learned about the custom of raising a wine glass in a toast to the sunset. Next time, I’ll be sure and bring a glass to raise myself! The next morning, I was on the beach early enough that I had it pretty much to myself, so I could let Rave off leash and let him run. He was in doggy heaven! (By the way, my side trip to Oregon filled up my US map…I have now been in all of the lower 48 states!)

This is getting very long, so I’m going to end here for now and continue on to the next leg of the journey in my next post. I promise there won’t be as long a time gap as between this and the last one!

2008 Winter Trip Wrap-up

I last left you as I watched the golf carts go by, sitting in the sun and heat. Yesterday I was scraping ice off the windshield of the MUTT prior to putting it back in storage, so I thought I should fill in the gaps before closing this chapter of my journal.

I went from the River Bend Resort to South Padre Island to spend the day before checking in to my next resort. I was amazed at how much construction has been done and how much continues to be done on the island. In only four years since I have been visiting there, the edge of construction has extended several miles up the coast.

SPI is the southern-most town on Padre Island, a very narrow barrier island off the eastern coast of Texas. Padre Island is actually 130 miles long, but because of breaks caused by areas below sea level, it consists of a series of separate land masses. The farthest south land mass, which includes SPI, is about 35 miles long and only about 1/2 mile in width. (I'm estimating these distances, so don't use them in a college essay!) After leaving the occupied area, the road continues north for several miles and has beach access roads every mile or so. After the road ends, the remainder of the island is undeveloped.

As I've done on previous visits, I drove up the shore about five miles before turning into one of the beach accesses. I've gone this far to have a more isolated beach on which to walk the dogs, but my mistake this time was to go on a Saturday afternoon. The normally quiet beach was converted to a freeway for 4-wheel-drive pick-ups, the sand packed down by all the traffic where it was hard enough, and deeply rutted where it wasn't. I tried to walk the dogs, but gave up after a short time, worried that one of them would veer off to the side as a truck whizzed by.

On my way back to town, I stopped at the Laguna Madre Nature Trail where boardwalks weave through four acres af wetlands. There were lots of birders on the boardwalk, and they looked at my dogs with glances that said, "Those animals better not disturb the birds!" I'm happy to report that the dogs were very well-behaved and never made a sound.

After my SPI tour, I went to the RV Resort I had visited last year, Winter Haven in Brownsville, and spent a very hot two days there before starting the trek homeward. When I left the resort Monday morning, the temperature was already 79 at 9:00. It got up to 93 by the time I reached San Antonio and was still that high when I hit Austin at rush hour. Travel advice: Do NOT attempt to drive on northbound I-35 through Austin during afternoon rush hour! There are no alternate routes and it was terrible! Bumper-to-bumper traffic, frequently at a complete stop, for what seemed like days. In actuality, it took me an hour to go about fifteen miles. I was worried about the engine over-heating, as the temp was still in the mid-90s, but even though my interior thermometer said it was 124 degrees (pretty sure that was wrong!), the MUTT made it through without a problem. I spent that night just north of Fort Worth and by the time I went to bed, the temp was in the 40s. The next morning it was 39, and after that, it was all downhill. However, the skies were clear all the way home.

I'm now sitting surrounded by piles of papers and files as I try to get ready to put my home on the market. Next trip will be the B Social Rally in Nebraska in June. Until then, I'll be stuck in the house throwing, packing, and otherwise ridding myself of years worth of accumulated stuff. Thanks for "joining" me on my winter trip and stay tuned for the next edition

If Only I Golfed...

I'm spending today and tonight at the fabulous River Bend Resort and

Country Club in Brownsville, TX! Every home and RV spot abuts the

golf course, spread out among the holes. I'm parked right by the 6th tee and with the beautiful weather, the golf carts are going by as though there's a parade. There's a very inviting pool in front of me

that I plan to jump into soon. With temps in the mid-80's, I really may jump in instead of doing my usual inch-by-inch 10-minute pool entry. Too bad the dogs can't swim, but they're enjoying the air conditioning in the RV.

The Resort is right on the Rio Grande river, and a person with a good throwing arm could easily throw their golf ball into Mexico. I'm betting a fair number of balls end up there if the golfers have bad hooks or slices!

Texas Revisited

I realized that in my last post I skimmed over my time in Texas, so decided to fill in some details.

I spent three nights at an RV Resort in San Antonio, mostly relaxing, but busing into town one day to revisit some of my favorite things in one of my favorite cities. I enjoyed pizza and a beer while sitting on the Rivercentre plaza, watching the tourist boats go by and listening to the pilots' spiels. I fed pizza crust to the birds and was soon surrounded by pigeons, sparrows, and grackles. Some baby ducklings came by to see what the fuss was about, but I found out that they don't like bread. That was a big surprise!

After my lunch with the birds, I once again strolled along the River Walk. I did discover one place I hadn't visited before, a small art colony abutting the river. I believe it was named "La Villita," meaning Small Village, but I might not be remembering that right. (Kind of disturbing, how often that happens these days.) Anyway, it's very quaint and historic-looking, hidden away in the middle of the big city. There are many artists and artisans creating and displaying their wares in small shops. If you're on the Riverwalk, look for the broad rows of steps, like an amphitheater, and walk up to the top. La Villita will be right in front of you.

While in San Antonio, I visited a sister community to the one in Tucson and while it was beautifully laid out and had even more amenities than the one where I'll be living, it was so spread out that I didn't feel it would be as easy to meet people there. Also, San Antonio is a three-day longer road trip to visit the family in Tacoma, so that was a huge reason to stay with Tucson.

After leaving San Antonio, I went on to an RV rally in Kerrville where I met up with my friends Sally and Ron and met many others. Tip of the day: If you're in or passing through Kerrville, I highly recommend Mamacita's Restaurant. Excellent Mexican food and ambiance!

I moved on to Port Aransas after the rally and stayed a couple of days with my friends, Sam & Alice. While there, I walked the dogs on the beach and as I expected, it really made me miss Pacer. She loved the beach so much! I discovered, though, that memories of ones we have lost hurt for awhile after the loss because they remind us of what we've lost, but later on, they remind us of what we've had. I think I'm entering that stage now with my memories of Pacer.

I'm down in the Rio Grande Valley now, watching the weather forecasts and waiting anxiously to head home to MN. It was 85 degrees here today, and very humid. About 75 degrees warmer than at home!

Gonna Be Going a New Direction Soon...

...north for the summer, instead of south for the winter. Yes, I'm relocating to Arizona from Minnesota, contingent on selling my townhouse in Lakeville. I've paid earnest money for a house in an "Active Adult" community in Sahuarita, AZ, a small city just south of Tucson. It won't be finished until November-December '08, so that gives me quite awhile to sell the house.

The background of my decision started with my son-in-law accepting a position in Tacoma, WA, so Shar and Jeff are moving there this summer and they're taking my grandkids along with them! I considered relocating with them, but for a number of reasons decided against it after some serious soul searching. However, there was no longer a reason to stay in Lakeville and I was worried about living in a two-level townhouse as my back deteriorated, especially without the family there to help me when it became necessary. So the townhouse would be going up for sale regardless of any other decision I made. What I should do next was the unknown and the source of a lot of stress and sleepless nights. Some of the options I considered were renting in WA for 6 months or a year to see how I liked it, buying down south in AZ or TX and spending the summers driving around, or ???

I decided to still make my trek south this winter, starting in AZ before going east to TX. One of my stops was to visit friends in Sahuarita. I immediately fell in love with the over-55 community my friends lived in. The houses are very small but well designed and attractive, and the small back yards are totally enclosed within a five-foot tall solid stone fence. It keeps the dogs in and the critters out! There is a community center with meeting rooms, exercise rooms with a 70-channel TV on each machine, a library/media room, etc., etc. Outside are a large outside pool and whirlpool, putting green, bocce ball courts, etc., etc. Lots of planned activities and trips. All the people I met were very friendly and enthusiastic about their community. The whole area is a new, planned community with over 100 miles of trails and new shopping areas. One of the big selling points was the presense of two dog parks in the community...one for large dogs and the other for small!

So now I'm in TX waiting for the weather and roads up north to clear up enough to let me safely drive back to MN and start the cleaning/packing/ tossing process.

Arizona & Texas, 2008 Version

Welcome back! I’ve been on the road for two weeks already, but wasn’t able to get into my blog until now. I reversed my route this year, going first to Arizona for about two weeks before heading to Texas. The temperature in MN when I left was hovering around zero, but at least it wasn’t snowing. The weather driving south was great…no snow, ice, or rain all the way. It did rain a couple times while I was in Ajo, but the heavy rain was in the middle of the night and the rest was just showers. The next five days were completely cloudless and warm. I’m in Texas now and the clouds have moved in as well as a forecast of rain the next couple days.

Ok, the weather woman is done. Now on to the travelogue. I spent a week with my friends Julie and Sandy in Ajo, AZ with beautiful warm days and chilling nights. We took a day trip to Rocky Point, Mexico on the shores of the Sea of Cortez (or the Gulf of California, if you prefer) where we window shopped (ok, there weren’t any windows), ate authentic Mexican food (except for Sandy, who had pancakes), and walked on the beach. The water was a beautiful aqua color and the shelling was wonderful...made me long for the week-long Mexican vacations I’ve taken in the past. If you find yourself in Ajo, ask someone about the scenic circle drive. It makes a large circle to the immediate south of the town, passing through some beautiful views of the mountains and millions of cacti. I became completely enthralled with cacti on this trip and am determined to learn as much as I can about them. I must have been a desert rat in a previous life!

Next, it was on to Tucson and a stay at my friends Jack & Judy’s house in Sahuarita. They live in a beautiful over-55 community with a club house offering lots to do. The homes are all single level with stone-fenced back yards. The dogs loved being able to go outside without leashes, both in Ajo and Sahuarita. Jack & Judy’s dog, a very cute Border Terrier named Effie, quickly established herself as alpha dog and it took a couple of days for them all to work it out, but by the time I left they were getting along fine.

During my stay in Sahuarita, we went to a craft fair at the local casino. There were some very interesting items, but by far my favorite was the booth of a former middle-school science teacher named Delight, and her husband. Delight created jewelry based on her love of science, such as a necklace representing the solar system with various sized beads for each planet and the asteroid belt. The head of the wearer is the sun. It would be great for a person who thinks the world revolves around them! She also created a double-helix necklace, a coral snake necklace, and more necklaces of all the constellations comprising the astrological signs. All of them were as technically accurate as the limitations of her media could make them. She and her art would make a very interesting magazine feature!

After leaving Tucson, I started the trip east to Texas. It’s not too bad in AZ and NM along that road, but once you pass El Paso, it’s many miles of nothing. I found out exactly how far when I failed to check my fuel gauge and saw with dismay that the warning light was on and I had gone 511 miles with a 26 gallon tank of fuel. Since my mileage hasn’t been as good as normal with the high winds and higher speeds (high is 80 mph in west TX!), I was pretty concerned. Service stations are few and far between there and I decided to stop at a rest stop and see if anyone knew of a station off the highway, or if I should just keep going with no towns in sight.

At the rest stop, I went up to the first truck driver I saw and told him of my predicament and asked if he knew where the closest fuel was. He told me it was in Ozona, about 30 miles on. I said I didn’t know if I could make it that far, and he told me to go on ahead holding my speed to between 55 and 60. He said if he saw me on the side, he’d stop and take me to Ozona. Well, he caught up to me, slowed down to my speed, and followed right behind me. It must have driven him crazy to go that slow…time is money to those guys! When we started down the interstate, I saw a sign that said it was actually 56 miles to Ozona …no way I was going to make it!

After what seemed like hours, my trucker friend pulled in front of me and indicated I should pull off at the picnic area ahead. When we met there, he said he had an idea. He cut off a piece of a hose he had with him, poured the water out of a couple gallon jugs he had, and siphoned fuel from his tank into the jugs. Then he cut the bottom off of a water bottle and using it as a funnel, poured the fuel into my tank. I gave him $20 and he said a kiss on the cheek would have been enough. I told him he was my guardian angel and I would be eternally grateful to him. He said he had been an eagle scout and a scout leader, and that helping people was drilled into him. He also said he was a Missouri hillbilly and was a descendent of the Hatfields of the Hatfield/McCoy feud. He was a short, grizzled man around my age with a halo over his head His name was Chester Hatfield and I gave him that kiss on the cheek before we parted.

I’m in San Antonio now, sitting out some rainy, windy weather before heading to an RV Rally in Kerrville, TX. I’ll try not to wait so long before posting next time!

Let Me Bring You Up to Date...

It's been six months since my last post, so there's probably no one checking anymore, but this is also a record for me so I'll post for myself, if no one else.

I took a trip with my family in August, taking the grandkids to Duluth and then on up the North Shore of Lake Superior. The kids had never been up there, so it was fun seeing it through their eyes. I've been there many times, but it made it all new again, watching them enjoy it. Reminded me of when I saw it for the first time at about ten years old, with my mother, brother, and his wife.

After returning home for one night, we headed down to Iowa to check out a litter of puppies. (No,not for me!) We started back the next day with a VERY cute addition to the family...a 7-week old Havanese. She did very well on the drive home, losing her lunch only once, and not whining at all. Of course, it helped that she spent the entire trip in the arms of the one kid or another.

The next time the MUTT hit the road was to head to Canada for the annual LTV Rally. The last time I went for the rally, in 2005, I was sick the entire time, spending most of my time in bed. After I got home I was diagnosed with a severe case of bronchitis, bordering on pneumonia. I was very happy to be heading up there healthy this year, determined to make up for lost time. It wasn't to be.

I woke up Saturday morning in terrific pain. My neck hurt and my right arm was almost useless and hurt so bad I was in tears. Thanks to a lot of pain medications, I made it through the day, but for the second time, I missed the Saturday evening program and talent show. (Some people said they thought that was the silver lining in my dark cloud!) The pain got steadily worse and I found the only way to relieve it at all was to keep my right arm curled over my head, with the hand over my left ear. I drove the entire 470 miles home in that position. It was definitely the trip from Hell...or to Hell...or in Hell. Whatever.

After I got home, things moved very fast. I called the doctor Monday morning and she got me in right away. She ordered an MRI for the next day, got the results back on Wednesday, and sent them to a neurosurgeon on Friday. He looked at the films and told his nurse to get me in on Monday. After seeing me, he told me to make arrangements for surgery as soon as possible. I had a pinched nerve caused by bone spurs on the vertebrae that were also causing herniation of the disk. He said in ranking of the severity of that particular injury, I was in the top two percentile. I had my pre-op physical the next day and entered the hospital on Thursday morning. I have always dreaded surgery and all that goes with it, but the pain was so bad, I actually looked forward to it.

The surgery was September 20, and I'm still recovering. The surgeon said recovery could take as long as a year; nerves heal very slowly. I'm in physical therapy now and hope I'll be able to leave for my trip south in January.

Went There, Did That, Came Home

This is a very late report on my trip in May. I had been drafting a log as I went along, and finished it up when I got home. As I was trying to publish it, suddenly my screen went blank. All lost in the vacuous void of the internet. You’ll just have to take my word that it was comprehensive, educational, and brilliantly composed. Ah well, here goes my new version that I'm sure suffers from my memory insufficiencies.

I left home on May 7th and drove to my friend Gayle’s house in Atlanta
(1-1/2 days, 1200 miles) and when I arrived, I didn’t want to touch the steering wheel again for a couple days! I ended up staying three days and had a great visit with Gayle and her son Sean.

I then headed for Savannah, GA, camping on Tybee Island that night. I tried to find a place to walk the dogs on the beach the next morning, but the parking places were all too short for the MUTT. I ended up parking at a nice park in town, taking up two parking places, but I didn’t figure that was a problem, as there were only a couple other cars parked there. As I got back to the parking lot, there was a police car driving through the lot and I willed him to keep driving. Instead, he slowed and stopped by the MUTT. I hurried up, hoping to be able to sweet talk him with my charming Minnesota accent, but turns out he was there because someone who apparently lived in her car was sleeping close to my rig.

Next on the route was Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. I had read much about it and was familiar with its reputation as a golfing mecca. I had heard people talking about golfing Hilton Head and expected one golf course. Wow! I saw course after course as I drove the length of the island. In between were very upscale, chic-looking shopping areas. No big billboards or signs of any kind; even the Target store was only marked by a small Target logo set in a stone pillar…very discreet. Some interesting history of the island: During the Civil War, the island was the site of several major battles, eventually captured by the Union Army. The slaves on the island were freed and became the first black troops to serve for the union. After the war, the island was granted to the freed slaves, who farmed and fished it until the northerners rediscovered it and purchased it from the inhabitants. In the 1950s, it was developed as the planned resort community it is today.

I continued up the South Carolina coast, staying at a campground in Hollywood before going through Charleston. That was one of the disappointments of my trip, that I wasn’t able to see more of the city and its historical sites. It was too hot to leave the dogs in the RV, so other than a walk around a park, I just drove through. It’s hard to see anything that way, the narrow streets and lots of traffic demanding my full attention. Next time I’m out that way, I’ll leave the MUTT at a campground plugged into A/C to keep the dogs comfortable, and rent a car to explore.

As I continued up the coast, I intended to visit Myrtle Beach, but that was the weekend of a Very Large motorcycle rally, and I found the MUTT being used as a pylon for the bikes pouring into town. What I did see seemed very touristy and commercial, and that impression was confirmed by people I talked to later. As I drove north, there were hundreds more bikes on their way to the rally, so I’m glad I made the decision to give it a pass.

The drive from the coast to the RV rally near Glendale Springs, North Carolina was relaxing and uneventful. After arriving at the campground, which is just a stone’s throw from the Blue Ridge Parkway, I spent four great days renewing friendships and making new ones. That’s the greatest thing about the rallies and RVing in general…almost everyone I meet becomes an instant friend.

After leaving the rally, I got caught up in a major traffic tie-up: two hours to go 12 miles! They were blasting a tunnel through the mountain, and had narrowed six lanes down to two. One of the joys of traveling! I stayed in Frankfort, Kentucky that night, but as I had been warned not to go through Louisville during rush hour, I got up at 3:00 a.m. to avoid it. Worked great, but I soon needed to pull over and catch a quick nap. That was the story of my trip home; drive a few hours, nap an hour or two, then back to driving.

I reached the Minnesota/Wisconsin border on I-90 just before sunrise the next day, and pulled into the rest area just into Minnesota. After washing up, brushing my teeth, feeding and walking the dog, I watched the sun rise over the Mississippi river. Absolutely breathtaking! I thought to myself that of all the beautiful scenery I had seen on this trip, this was the most beautiful. For readers who haven’t been to Minnesota, if you visit, be sure to enter the state via I-90 if possible. The river with its many islands and the river bluffs make southeastern MN a paradise, in my opinion. I love Minnesota: The northern part of the state has the North Shore of Lake Superior, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Voyageurs National Park, and of course we have over 15,000 lakes throughout the state, (Forget that “Land of 10,000 Lakes” slogan. We’re just a very modest people here. As Garrison Keillor once said: “If Minnesotans had named Lake Superior, it would have been Lake Pretty Good.”)

But as much as I enjoy traveling in Minnesota, I’ll keep sampling the flavors of the rest of the country and sharing them here. C’mon along!

The Empty Space Behind the Seat...A Eulogy

I'm getting ready for my next journey, but with a heavy heart. I lost Pacer last week, and it's been a tough time. She was my friend and companion for 15-1/2 years, and it seems so strange to not have her following me around. She had a wonderful, long life, but I only wish it could have been longer. I don't want to talk about her passing, though; I want to talk about her life.

I would have seen Pacer being born if not for the record-breaking blizzard of 1991. It started on Halloween and by the time the puppies started coming, the roads were impassable. So I sat at home getting regular phone updates about the births from the mother's owner. The next day, my daughter borrowed her husband's 4-wheel-drive vehicle and we braved the roads. For the next seven weeks, until Pacer was ready to come home with me, I saw her at least once a week. I bought a large stuffed Border Collie toy and took pix of Pacer next to it, starting when she was about as big as the toy's front leg and continuing until she passed it up in size.

As she developed, it became apparent that she was going to be the fast, driven flyball dog I had hoped for. Her drive was a little much at the beginning, when the ball in the other dogs' mouths seemed much more attractive to her than her own. There was a point when I was ready to give up, afraid that she'd chase the wrong dog and get hurt. Oh, I am SO glad I stayed with it!


At two years old, when she was still a little inconsistent but very fast, she won the "Fastest Dog in Texas" award at the Houston Astrodome International Flyball Tournament. At the same tournament the next year, she recorded the first sub-4 second run for an Animal Inn dog. Years earlier, her father, Cider, had recorded the first sub-5 second run. A great legacy to her dad!


Pacer continued her stellar athletic career, both in flyball and agility. Obedience wasn't quite so successful, as her concentration strayed whenever someone in the next ring threw a dumbbell. She never actually jumped over the gate, but man, was it close a couple times! Her behavior outside the obedience ring, however, would have won blue ribbons. She was the most responsive dog I could have hoped for. Twice, I called her off a rabbit she was chasing. Once, she was heading for a cliff up by Lake Superior, scaring the heck out of me, but turned on a dime and came back as soon as I called.


Pacer and I traveled to flyball tournaments throughout the US and Canada. When I started RVing (because of the dogs, by the way), Pacer discovered the joys of beach-walking. She has walked the beaches of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and countless lakes and rivers. I'm sure I'll never walk another beach without visions of her loping along, tongue hanging out, and tail wagging furiously. Our travels took us to 41 states and 4 provinces.

For all her wonderful athletic accomplishments, the greatest trait she had was her unquestioning, never-wavering devotion to me. I was so loved and so fortunate to have had her with me for as many years as I did. Sleep well, my Pacer.

Herdobe's Set the Pace
November 2, 1991 - April 21, 2007

A Quick Update and Some Trip Stats

Unfortunately, my comment about not boasting about the weather became a prophecy. It was beautiful the first few days after I got home...an all-time record for March 26 of 81 degrees! Then the bottom fell out and since then we've had some snow and quite a lot of extremely cold temps for April. Now we're setting temperature records in the other direction. Lows consistently in the lower twenties and teens, with wind chills below zero. The MUTT is in an unheated storage building and I'm hoping to not find it flooded from cracked water lines when I go to pick it up. Next year I may not come home until May!

The final stats for my trip are as follows: 6357 miles and a cumulative fuel mileage figure of 21.1 mpg. I could add up the amount spent on fuel, but that would be too painful. Prices for diesel ranged from $2.279 to $2.749. I actually saw a station in Winslow, AZ that listed diesel at $3.499, but just laughed and drove past.

I'm planning on leaving for my eastern trip on May 6 or 7 after a weekend of watching my granddaughters Kendra and Annika both play soccer and my grandson Jacob compete in the MN State Wrestling Tournament.

Back Home...And Warm!

I completely avoided winter this year! (Maybe I shouldn't gloat; this is Minnesota after all...we could still get more!) I arrived home yesterday and the only snow I've seen was in the ditches in Iowa. It's in the 50s here and should get to the 60s today. The dogs are really happy to be home; Rave has been lying outside in the sun for over an hour, Pacer is lying in the sun in the living room, and Wink of course has to be on my lap wherever I sit. I'm surrounded by a mountain of mail, and all the clothes, food, and other supplies unloaded from the MUTT. No hurry to clean it up...I'm retired!

I left Amarillo Wednesday morning and fought cross winds from the south all the way to OK City. My arms and shoulders ached from fighting the wheel all the way. When I headed north on I-35, it became a tail wind and no more problems. I stayed in Emporia that night and other than a thunder storm during the night while I was in bed, all the threatened bad weather was already to the east. Sunshine all the way home!

One very scary event during the drive: As those of you that have been reading this from the beginning may recall, my first day on the road I saw a serious accident when a pickup pulling a large trailer sideswiped a car, then went in the ditch and flipped the trailer before running into some trees. That happened about a half-mile in front of me and I got there right after it happened. This time, I saw a similar accident, but this one happened right in front of me! There was a semi in front of me and all of a sudden, I saw the pickup in front of him speed into the ditch, hit a guardrail, go airborne, flip over, and land on its side about 10 feet from the side of the road. The semi and I both pulled over and ran back. In no time, there were a bunch of other trucks and cars stopped. The truck drivers pulled the driver's door, which was on top, open and managed to get the driver out. It took quite a lot longer to get the passenger out, and then I decided there was nothing I could do, so I left. I'll skip the injury details. My hands were shaking for a long time afterwards! The pickup had had a blowout of one of his rear tires, and I couldn't help thinking about the state of my tires the rest of the way home. It seems eerily coincidental that the two accidents were on the first and last days of my journey. My friends that believe that everything happens for a reason might say I witnessed the first accident to caution me to be careful, and the last to remind me how fortunate I was to make it safely home.

I want to thank all of you who have followed my journey and stuck with it regardless of my rambling on at times. Thanks, too, for the emails and comments some of you have sent. I'm writing for myself as a record as well as for others, but it's nice to know that people have been following along. Until May, when I take off for North Carolina, I'll sign off...take care and travel carefully!

Homeward Bound...Really This Time!

I spent three great days in Laughlin, except for the heat. It was in the upper 90s every day and the poor dogs had to spend all their time in the air-conditioned RV, except for a morning and evening walk. It cools off a lot at night, so that makes it more bearable. Also, there's no humidity, so it's much cooler in the shade. I didn't lose TOO much in the casinos, and the entertainment value was worth it.

I left yesterday morning and spent last night in Gallup, NM. An extreme temperature change...the temp was 30 degrees this morning! I drove across northern NM today; east of Albuquerque, it's not nearly as pretty as the rest of NM that I've visited.

I'm in Amarillo, TX now and it's the first time I've had an internet connection in almost a week, so thought I'd give everyone a quick update. I may be home by Thursday night, but should make it by Friday for sure. Hope the MN weather takes a turn for the better by the time I get home!

A Change of Plans

Well, I saw snow and pine trees today, but it wasn’t Minnesota, it was Arizona. The Whim and Weather took over…

First the weather: I watched the forecast for MN and saw that the coming weekend was going to dip down in the low 20s again. As the MUTT isn’t winterized, I didn’t want to drive into that, so I decided to stay south for another week. As I said, the park by Canyon Lake, TX was really nice, but the weather was pretty nasty the last two days and the forecast for the next 3-4 days was for more of the same. The weather map on TV was really pretty with all the red, orange, and yellow colors swirled all over TX, but not very inviting.

The Whim part took over… I talked to my friends Barb and Lisa, who live in San Diego, and they were looking for a weekend getaway, so we decided to meet in Laughlin, NV for a long weekend. So I headed west towards El Paso. The first two hours after leaving Canyon Lake, I drove through thunder storms and heavy rain. Once I got through that, though, the skies turned blue and it was a great drive. Western Texas looks like every cowboy movie I’ve seen: Very hilly with gray-brown soil polka-dotted with sagebrush and mesquite. In my mind I could almost see wagon trains crossing and Indians riding and hunting.

New Mexico was a change of scenery and a pleasant surprise…it’s a very pretty state! The prevailing color changed from gray-brown to red, and the hills changed to mesas and buttes. I intended to head straight across I-10 into Arizona, then head north to Laughlin, but I saw the weather forecast calling for record-breaking high temps, so decided to take the northern route, through Albuquerque and Flagstaff. Again, a lot of really beautiful scenery.

I stayed in eastern AZ, then started off in the morning before sunrise. As I drove west, I saw a fantastic sunrise in my rear-view mirror, and the mountains rising from the plains ahead of me. The mountains were snow-capped, and the sunrise turned the snow pink…I started humming “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” Along the way I took a detour leading to the big crater in Arizona, but after driving there, decided $15 was too much money to spend to see a big hole in the ground. If you’re ever traveling I-40 through AZ, I highly recommend the rest area just west of Flagstaff, between mile posts 182 and 183. It’s in the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in America. There’s a path circling from the rest area through the trees, complete with plaques along the way educating the reader about the forest.

Well, weather-wise, I’ve traded the icebox for the frying pan, to badly muddle a metaphor. True, the northern route through AZ was much cooler than the southern would have been, but here in Laughlin, they are setting record highs. My thermometer today hit 101! I’m afraid I won’t be doing much gambling in the casinos during the day, because I can’t take a chance on the air conditioner quitting in the RV with the dogs in there. Since AZ doesn’t observe daylight savings time, it’s dark by 6:30, so I’ll get a chance to lose some money after dark. I'm here until Monday, then it's homeward bound regardless of the weather!

The Last Texas Post?

Well, we cut our week in the vacuum to three days. One can take only so much desolation, isolation, and monotony. The resort was “on the shores of Lake Medina” – the only catch was that the lake was dried up in the area of the resort. In fact, it had been dry for so long that farmers had put fences up on the lake bed and were grazing cattle out there! One fascinating thing we saw was a herd of zebras grazing on a reserve close to the resort. There were also some very large bovines that we think were Cape Buffalo and some antelopes with long, spiraled horns that were familiar from African safari movies. We later saw another small herd of zebras closer to New Braunfels, and Sally had told me about yet another herd close to Boerne. Who would have thought Texas was the Zebra breeding capital of North America?

One correction: In my last post, I called Bandera the “Cowboy Capital of America.” That should have been the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” so I’ve corrected it. Sorry, Bandera.

We’re now at a very nice RV Park near Sattler, TX. It’s a big park with lots of amenities for families (two pools, three spas, a large lounge with a very large screen TV, and much more). Only problem is that it’s so spread out that you need to drive to everything. We’re in the “back 40” and even the rest room/shower building is a long walk. The office is on the other side of the highway by the clubhouse and cabins. There is no WiFi access on the camping side of the highway, so I don’t know when this will get posted. It’s raining today, so I’m spending the time in the RV to type this up so I’ll have it ready to send when I get the chance. This is Spring Break week for all of Texas, so the resort is hopping with lots of families. Considering the all-day rain, I feel sorry for the ones camping in tents with a bunch of kids!

We took a trip around the area yesterday to guess where? Fredericksburg and Luckenbach! Yep, that’s the third time for me in less than a month! Mike and Shirley hadn’t been there, so I was happy to accompany them. We hit Luckenbach on a Saturday and it was a completely different experience from my previous two visits, which were both on Mondays. There were about 30-40 motorcycles, about as many cars, and two buses. The stage was open, with continuous live music, there were two outside bars open as well as the one inside, and there was a small store selling cowboy hats. The line at the cash register in the souvenir store was at least 10 people long all the time. I guess that the first experience, with many fewer people and a few guys informally jamming in the bar was a more quaint, unique experience, but this was fun, too.

Just lived through a terrific storm last night! There were tornado warnings along with large hail flash flood, and damaging wind warnings. We managed to avoid all those, but the rains were incredible. The little pond in our resort is now a lake, and is running over the earthen dam into the previously dry creek bed. No damage, but some pretty wet, dirty dogs.

Well, I think it’s time to head for home after this stop. I hear the snow is melting pretty fast and I sure miss the grandkids! It’ll be almost time for baseball and soccer by the time I get home. Since my next trip will be the Class B Rally in No. Carolina in May, I need time to regroup, clean the MUTT, and let the dogs have the freedom to roam the house instead of having only a 2 x 10-foot hall to walk in. But, hey, at least they haven’t had to walk through snow this winter!

Yee-Haw...I'm in Cowboy Country!

It’s been a fairly quiet time since the last post; I’ve stayed within about a 60-mile circle and have actually made a circle route. I left the RV Resort near Bourne and headed up to Fredericksburg again, visiting the National Museum of the Pacific War. I had stopped by there with Ron and Sally the first time around, but the Admiral Nimitz Museum was closed for renovation and was scheduled for reopening by the time I got back there. It was fascinating to this WW II buff. My interest started when I had to take a History class in college and chose WW II History. If you ever get the chance to visit the museum, allow several hours to really do it justice.

Leaving Fredericksburg, I drove up to Llano for a BBQ lunch at the highly-recommended Cooper’s BBQ Restaurant. The beef brisket was incredible! (Thanks for the tip, OTBiker!)

Since it was right on the way, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to visit Luckenbach again. It was much quieter this time…no singin’ cowboys! The chickens were the real entertainment. The chickens flew up in the trees, followed by the roosters, who chased each other until one of them was pushed off. They repeated this several times and then the three roosters had a crowing contest. They took positions about 20 feet apart, then took turns puffing up their throat feathers and letting loose with some really fowl yodels! This entire show played out within a few feet of the fascinated tourists…quite a show!

After Luckenbach, I went on to San Antonio to meet up with Mike and Shirley. We went into town the first evening to take the boat tour of the river and walk past the lit-up Alamo. The second day, we went out to breakfast to celebrate Shirley’s first Social Security check, then returned to the campground for a relaxing day and some very pleasant dog walks. The weather has been great the last couple weeks and as a result, the dogs are getting a lot of exercise and then lounging in their kennel outside. The third day in San Antonio we visited the Mexican Marketplace, doing some shopping then having lunch at a restaurant there. We next returned to the Alamo and this time toured the inside. It’s very moving to be standing on the site where so many people died. The same feeling I had when I visited Gettysburg.

I left San Antonio yesterday, following Mike and Shirley, and we are now camped at a campground in the dead center of nowhere. We went through the town of Bandera (the Cowboy Capital of the World), then drove for what seemed like hours through the kind of scenery you see in old westerns…you know, the guy crawling past cactus and tumbleweeds, calling out, “Water, water…” before collapsing. Anyway, we finally made it to the campground and probably won’t do much touring the next week, since the scenery is pretty monotonous. (And monochromatic, too.) If anything exciting happens, I’ll let you know. Otherwise, I’ll write again when I get back to civilization!

When the Wind Blows…the MUTT will Rock!

I had a great week down in Mission, both with weather and the wonderful people there. The temperatures were in the 80s with lots of sunshine. I partook in most of the park events (pancake breakfast, pizza lunch, style show, coffee and donut morning,) and also got back together with Mike and Shirley for a trip around the area. We visited the Bentsen State Park where we walked our dogs and fortunately, didn’t meet any wild Javelinas. We went to the very small La Lomita Chapel built in the mid-1800s, then spent a fun couple of hours at “PePe’s on the River”, an outside bar/restaurant right on the Rio Grande. A couple Border Patrol officers pulled up to the dock in their boat and had lunch while we were there. I could write a whole entry just on the illegal immigrant problem down here, and maybe will sometime in the future. There are a lot of strong feelings among the residents down in the valley.

I left Mission Gardens on Feb. 21 and headed north. The weather that day in San Antonio (which I went through) got to 89 degrees! I arrived at the Top of the Hill RV Park and met up again with Sally and Ron. We were joined shortly by the other Rally RVers. The first night there, we were rocked throughout the night by incredible winds with gusts of 50 mph! Since we were perched on top of the hill, I was hoping everyone had their parking brakes firmly set! The weather for the most part, though, was very good...sunshine most of the days, and starry nights. There were four Class B vans during most of the rally time, a fifth joined us for one evening, and another for one night, leaving the next morning. We ate, went on a short road trip to Comfort, ate, visited, went to the store and bought more food, ate, and played a hard-fought game of dominoes. It was fun comparing notes on our various rigs and getting some great ideas for updates.

I have really enjoyed meeting a lot of wonderful people on this trip and seeing old friends again. RVing has to be the best way to meet people while traveling. Can you imagine making friends with people you meet in the parking lot of your motel, or walking down of the halls of a hotel? Almost without exception, RVers are friendly, helpful, and generous. Also, walking dogs around a campground initiates a lot of conversations, and is a great ice-breaker.

Ok, I’m off to bed and will be leaving in the morning for more adventures. Catch you later!

Mission TX keeps callin' me back

I’m back at the Mission campground for the third time, but since it’s been so long since I updated the blog, I’ll try to catch up in chronological order since this will be pretty long. I'll be adding some pictures soon, but wanted to get this posted now.

Feb. 7 Leaving the Valley
After spending a few nice quiet days at Mission Gardens, I said goodbye to all my new friends with promises to renew those friendships next year, then headed north on Hwy 281. The highway changes personality completely between the Rio Grande Valley and the ranch country to the north. Down in the valley there are palm trees in the median, then about 20 miles later mesquite trees start appearing along with the palms. The ratio of palms to mesquite gradually changes in favor of the mesquite for the next 20 miles, then becomes all mesquite. The other interesting thing was the road kill. In Minnesota, we’re used to seeing deer by the side of the road, but down here I’ve seen more dead coyotes than I ever saw deer in the same distance.

Along the way, I saw a caravan of riders on horseback and covered wagons pulled by mules. They were escorted along the highway by state troopers, and were playing and singing cowboy songs. If you travel north from the Valley, you have two possible routes: Hwy 281 or Hwy. 77. If you’re in a hurry, 77 is the best as there are fewer towns and some of those are bypassed. If you have more time, I highly recommend 281. It’s more interesting and has more history and personality. That’s just my opinion, of course.

I wanted to tour the King Ranch, but got there after the last tour of the day had departed. The ranch is 825,000 acres, an area bigger than the state of Rhode Island. Oh well, something to look forward to next year.

I arrived back in Port Aransas and got to take the dogs on one more beach walk. Pacer seems to revert back to her youth when her feet hit the sand, and the rest of us love it, too. After settling in at the County Park by the beach, I was picked up by Sam and Alice and we had a great visit at a local restaurant. That night I slept about 50 yards from the water’s edge and the sound of the surf was constant and LOUD! I woke up several times during the night and thought the noise was coming from a motor somewhere in the RV.

Feb.8 – Feb. 12 Traveling with Sally and Ron
After waking up in the morning to the sound of the surf, I took the ferry across to the mainland and headed north. I stopped again in Rockport and walked the same path along the wharfs that I did on my way south. I took the secondary road along the gulf before finally joining the traffic heading to Houston, where I met up with Sally and Ron at their friends’ house. We spent the night “camping” in the driveway, then headed to the big RV show at the Astrodome. I looked at some of the new RVs, dreaming of what could be and realizing that what already is, is not so bad. We spent that night at a campground in Katy, TX, where I managed to get attacked by chiggers, who decorated my legs with scores of VERY irritating bites. The intense itching lasted for three days, and only Benadryl lotion allowed me to get some sleep. There’s the silver lining for you Minnesotans suffering through the cold and snow: No bugs in the winter!

We traveled the next three days, stopping at several very interesting places, including Cabela’s, Bass Pro, a salsa factory, and a glass-blowing plant. We camped one night in the McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, where we were welcomed at the gate by a herd of deer, who just stood and watched us as we passed by.

During this stage of our journey I received very bad news from home: My daughter Shar’s mother-in-law passed away after a 15-month battle with lung cancer. I wish I could have been home to help the family through this difficult time, but you can never plan for something like this. My thoughts are with all of them, though, and I can’t wait to hug my grandchildren. One doesn’t realize how much those hugs mean until you don’t get them.

Feb. 13 – Feb. 14 In Cowboy Country
I had been told that the Hill Country was different than the Rio Grande Valley in that the Valley is very influenced by its proximity to Mexico and the very large number of Mexicans living and working there. The Hill Country on the other hand is what most Americans think of when they think of Texas. Lots of mesquite, tumbleweeds, and ranches. However, there’s also a large German influence there. We spent an afternoon in Fredericksburg, visiting the Veriens Kirche Museum, a reconstructed hexagon-shaped one-room church built in the mid-1800s, and having lunch at an authentic German restaurant. The food was pretty much what I remember having in Germany. I won’t comment beyond that.

Even though it’s one of those places that you have to experience yourself, I have to try and describe one of our stops – Luckenbach, TX. It’s not really a town…the sign says Population 3, but the locals say there is really only one person still in residence. We didn’t see any houses, though, so I’m not sure where the resident lives. The “town” consists of two buildings (plus a couple outbuildings). One is the dance hall, which was not in use when we were there. It’s one large room with a stage, large dance floor, and lots of wooden tables and benches. The other building really defies description, but I’ve never let that stop me. It’s labeled the Post Office, but hasn’t been one for years. The whole building isn’t more than about 20 feet by 50 feet, divided into two rooms. The front is a haphazard collection of souvenirs…thousands of them from bottle openers to guitars. It’s looked after by a real authentic-looking old cowboy, who told us stories about the town and its history. The back of the building is the bar, but not like any bar you’ve seen elsewhere. The atmosphere is so casual that the bartender walks around with the customers and checks occasionally to see if anyone wants another beer. There is one table, at which the guys with guitars sit while jamming with old CW tunes. Everyone else either stands around or sits on the long benches along the walls. Hanging from the ceiling are hundreds of hats contributed by visitors. We were given permission to spend the night in the parking lot and I awoke the next day to a flock of chickens walking around the van, cats chasing something I thankfully couldn’t see, and absolutely no other people except Sally and Ron. Luckenbach was quite a unique experience and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!

The next day we made the visit to Fredericksburg that I mentioned earlier, then went on to a campground near Bourne (pronounced Bernie). The temperature had been falling all day and the next morning was bitterly cold. (No comments, northerners.) The forecast for the next night was for a low of 28 degrees and the following night 22 degrees. I decided I really needed to go back down to the Valley, since the alternative was to drain my water tanks and blow out the pipes. Also, it was too cold to let the dogs sit outside, and we’d all have cabin fever before long. So I bailed and made the 270-mile trip back to Mission. I’ve renewed those friendships a few months earlier than I thought I would, and it’s nice to be back in the relative warmth. (Even though they’re talking about a possible dip below freezing tonight.)

Well, I’m finally up to date and hope to keep this more current from now on! Either that or not have anything worth reporting for a few days…